A public funeral service was held at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Oakland, preceded by a K-9 officer motor procession from the police bureau's Canine Training Academy on Washington Boulevard.

Due to a large public response, the service was opened to the public at the request of Rocco’s handler, Officer Phil Lerza. No media cameras were permitted inside.

Lerza's wife entered the building holding one of their daughters' hands. The officer was behind them, holding the hand of their other daughter. The family was seated in the front row, directly in front of a photograph of Rocco, a folded American flag and a wooden box with the dog's ashes.

Inside the service, Pittsburgh's acting police chief, a commander and several former and current K-9 handlers spoke.

"There is no doubt in my mind that John Rush that day wanted to do harm, had every intention of getting away and was going to do everything he could to get away," said Officer Jeff Deschon. "Those first major blows that Rocco took, he took for Phil."

Rush remains in jail, charged with the K-9's death. His arrest, has brought plans for stricter penalties for those who kill police dogs. Currently, those convicted face a maximum of seven years in prison.

"We as lawmakers now, and myself being a former law enforcement officer, need to show our protectors, who are police officers and the K-9s that we are going to protect them, that we are going to step steps to ensure that if someone commits a crime like this again, they will face a lot of time in prison," said State Rep. Dom Costa, who is pushing for more severe punishments.

In a private ceremony, Mayor Bill Peduto presented the flag of the city Lerza and his family Thursday evening. A transcript of Peduto's remarks, as provided by the mayor's office, appears below.

When a Pittsburgh officer dies in the line of duty, it is customary to present the family with a flag of the city.

Officer Rocco was a police dog who died defending three uniformed officers, and his family was that of Zone Five Officer, Phil Lerza.

Officer Lerza was one of the three policemen Rocco died defending, and he was himself injured while capturing the fugitive who killed his partner Rocco.

Because of a long-standing commitment to a loved one, I must be out-of-town during tomorrow's memorial service.

But I did not want to leave without first paying my respects, and the respect of our city, to Rocco and to the good people who became his family during the time he served us.

The night Officer Rocco died, I went to the Veterinary Clinic and stayed with Officer Rocco, the Lerzas, and the police officers who gathered to be with a comrade on his final watch.

There were many older officers, big, tough veterans, men and women accustomed to seeing hard things.

Not a single one of them left that clinic without a leaking heart, torn by both grief and admiration, and with eyes filled with tears in a city that soon joined them in their grief when the word of Officer Rocco's passing was announced.

Pittsburgh showed its soul that night, a soul that shines with compassion, and recognizes the good not only in every human, but in every being.

Not every dog proves a perfect match for the job of protecting others.

The combination of control and courage needed in a canine officer are not found in every dog.

But Rocco measured up in every way.

He faced an assailant's knife without hesitation, without retreat, and with a loyalty that reached beyond mere "trait" and well into the realm of character.

There are 5,000 known species of mammal, but Rocco showed us why only one of them is known as man's best friend.

Rocco came to us from a breeder in the Czech Republic. Like so many others in our city, he had his origins in another land, and his heart in Pittsburgh.

It was a Czech-born writer, Milan Kundera, who spoke of dogs as our last link to paradise.

He said: "They don't know evil, or jealousy, or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace."

Rocco is now at peace, and we can only pray that the old saying is true - that all dogs go to heaven.

Surely, with Rocco there, Heaven is a safer, happier place.

I am sorry that my plans must take me away from the city tomorrow, but please know that Rocco, the Lerzas, and every man and woman who protects our city will be in my thoughts and prayers.

So, on behalf of the citizens of Pittsburgh, with gratitude and humility, I present this flag of our city to the Lerzas - Rocco's family.

Photos: In memory of Pittsburgh police K-9 Rocco

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Rocco

Rocco, a Pittsburgh police K-9, was critically injured in a stabbing while helping to make an arrest in Lawrenceville. He died two days later after undergoing two surgeries and several blood transfusions.

LOOK FOR UPDATES ON AIR AND ONLINE AT WTAE.COM AND ON "WORLD NEWS WITH DIANE SAWYER" AT 6:30. ? HE WAS A K-9 OFFICER AND A COMPANION. TODAY, HERO'S HONORS FOR ROCCO AS THE CITY PAUSES TO PAY TRIBUTE. "ACTION NEWS" REPORTER MARCIE CIPRIANI WAS THERE FOR THAT FARF FAREWELL AND IS LIVE OUTSIDE OF SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MEMORIAL HALL IN OAKLAND. Reporter: JUST BEFORE 11:00 THIS MORNING, THE STEPS TO SOLDIERS AND SAILORS WAS LINED WITH POLICE OFFICERS, CANINES, POLITICIANS AND CITIZENS WHO SIMPLY CAME HERE TO HONOR ROCCO. ? THE WALK TO SAY GOOD-BYE WAS AN HONOR DOZENS DEEP. THE TRIBUTE TO PITTSBURGH POLICE K-9 ROCCO WAS LINED WITH HANDLERS, POLICE DOGS AND OFFICERS FROM DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE AREA, ALL MARKING THE WAY FOR ROCCO'S HANDLER, OFFICER PHIL LERZA, HIS WIFE AND THEIR YOUNG DAUGHTERS WALKING ARM AND ARM. INSIDE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS, POLICE ASKED THERE BE NO PHOTOGRAPHS, BUT THEY GAVE US PERMISSION TO CAPTURE THE COMPASSION THROUGH THEIR WORDS. [ INAUDIBLE ] Reporter: THE WORDS WERE EMOTIONAL, SINCERE AND OFTEN DIFFICULT FOR MANY TO HEAR. YOUR MISSION TO SERVE AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC, BUT YOU ALSO LAID DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR HANDLER, AS ROCCO DID. Reporter: THE ROLE OF A POLICE DOG IS ONE MOST HERE UNDERSTAND, YET STRUGGLE WITH. HE PUT HIMSELF IN JEOPARDY AND PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE. Reporter: BUT IT IS SOMETHING MANY ARE ALSO GRATEFUL FOR. WELL, THE DOG IS PART OF US. I MEAN, WE'RE -- WHEN WE TAKE ON THE ROLE AS A HANDLER, WE BECOME A TEAM WITH THAT DOG. Reporter: SOMETHING MANY HOPE ROCCO'S DEATH CAN HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND. THE ROLE OF THE POLICE DOG IS THE SAME AS THE ROLE -- [ INAUDIBLE ] COMPANIONSHIP, LOYALTY AND COURAGE. ROCCO CHOSE TO DO THIS. HE SERVED US WELL. Reporter: FRIENDS OF OFFICER PHIL LERZA TELL ME HE IS A VERY PRIVATE PERSON, SO WHILE HE CHOSE NOT TO SPEAK HERE INSIDE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS, HE HAS EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE THROUGH HIS FELLOW OFFICERS AND ACTUALLY RIGHT HERE ON THE BACK OF THIS